ARC review

Evil Genius tells the story of 19 year old Celia in 1974, working in the billing department at the phone company in San Francisco, and how the death of a co-worker sends her life down a path of breaking rules and being surrounded in dead bodies. There are themes of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Celia is in an abusive marriage and a job that's going nowhere; or what she considers comfortable. This gradually changes as she opens herself up more to the women around her and begins fantasizing about taking her husband out of the picture. I didn't feel overly connected to Celia unfortunately but I understood her and the woman of decades gone by that she represents, I think I could say that for most if not all of the characters in this book - I didn't really know very much about them because I think the author relied on archetypes for the reader to slot them into. I did enjoy her coming out of her shell, however unhinged that journey may be, and the emphasis on the importance of friendships between women and having a support system outside of the home.

Her role at the phone department really reminded me of moments from Oh Honey by Emily Austin (which I love and highly recommend btw!) but less gritty. The most compelling part of the story was about a mother who calls begging for her phone bill to be forgiven as it's exorbitant due to her son's phone porn addiction, and the way this seemingly off-hand interaction ties everything together. That character was the most interesting to me and the only one who made me feel the tension.

This is described as hilarious and dark and I didn't really get that. Obviously everyone has a different sense of humour so maybe it just wasn't my taste. Overall I think the concept is interesting but it was missing something, a little more punch or maybe a good twist. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Side note: I hate the word doggo with a PASSION and I'm not a historian but I don't think they were saying that in the 70's?? Side note 2: there's a flashback scene of literal children having sex??? I think it's supposed to be acceptable because it's about a queer awakening but I'll actually pass thank you

ARC review

NOTE: 3 big things gave me the ick and definitely impacted by rating of the book.

1. HP reference in 2026 yikes
2. there's a part where two characters want to/plan to (can't remember exact wording) have sex on every baby change table in new york city which is absolutely vile and if a person said that me irl I'd assume they were a pedophilie
3. an epstein joke are you kidding?? that does not help the above pedophile suspicions

Lila Devin used to be Hollywood's it girl, then her young daughter was abducted and murdered and the grief and pain of not knowing what happened drove her away from her husband and the life she knew. The investigation was tainted by botched police work, invasive journalists and true crime enthusiasts, including those who always suspected Lila had killed her daughter herself. Now, 10 years later, she has returned to LA with aspirations of building a skincare brand dedicated to her daughter. She soon discovers maybe the best revenge isn't a life well-lived as an accidental murder ignites a blood-soaked rampage on everyone who wronged her with the help of her new business partner.

I was expecting this to be a literary horror but I found it closer to a classic thriller which I still really enjoyed. Lila's story is incredibly heartbreaking and maybe this says more about me than the book, but I completely understood her actions and her weakening grip on reality. It's almost like she goes through another 5 stages of grief triggered by being back in the place her daughter died. I wouldn't describe her as likeable, but definitely relatable in terms of her anger and rage even without having the same lived experiences. I felt torn between rooting for her on her destructive path and wanting to hold her hand and pull her back at times. There are definitely a few tear-jerking moments, but also great tension, mystery and a few good laughs to balance it out.

There wasn't as much body horror as I was expecting but LOVED that part of it (without spoiling). The business story line wasn't as compelling and I think more could have been done with it, but it served the purpose of bringing the characters together in a realistic way, even if believe-ability was thrown out the window towards the end of the book.

NO SPOILERS but I am not a fan of the ending - the FIRST fake-out "ending" ABSOLUTELY YES - the actual ending MMMMM. There were too many unanswered questions and it really pulled the threads of reality TIGHT. I wish the author hadn't just tried to make it as outlandish as possible, I'd prefer something slightly predictable. Overall I think this a strong debut and I will definitely read this author again.